1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a link information display device for obtaining the image signal of an actual object by an imaging device or an image recorder, and receiving link information on the actual object transmitted by a link information transmitter, thereby displaying the link information superimposed on the image signal of the actual object.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been overspread a method in which a technique such as WWW (World Wide Web) for transmitting and receiving information on the Internet, or MPEG4 (Moving Picture Expert Group4) for compressing and reproducing moving pictures is used to embed a hyperlink label into a suitable position of a text, still image or moving image, whereby the user performs a predetermined operation for this hyperlink label, so as to easily obtain hyperlink information associated with the label. The hyperlink label herein is referred to as a character string configuring URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for use in, e.g., HTTP (Hyper text Transfer Protocol). Information associated with the hyperlink label, e.g., information such as the link contents, link attribute, and link position is called hyperlink information. For convenience, the hyperlink label is hereinafter referred to simply as a link label, and information associated with the link label is described as link information.
Definition on format is currently made to embed a link label into an image or a moving picture. How link information associated with a link label to be embedded is generated is being studied and developed.
In the field of Augmented Reality, there have been advanced studies for adding information of a virtual world to the real world.
Among them, a method capable of obtaining information on an actual object has been also proposed. For example, it is possible to provide means for displaying, on an image display device, link information superimposed on the image signal of an actual object filmed by an imaging device and associated with the actual object, whereby the user can easily obtain the information on the actual object.
The foregoing prior art includes any one of the problems as described below. There has not been a method for solving these at the same time yet. Obtainable information is an ID (identification number) of an object. The ID must be separately converted to link information, specifically, URL. For this reason, an information obtaining side must always prepare database indicating association of the ID with the link information.
As for the positional information of an object, for example, only the extent that in which room an object is present can be recognized, and the precise position or direction of the object cannot be recognized.
Further, an ID is recognized by image processing a tag provided in an object. The user must thus be in a position to recognize the tag.
Furthermore, only the information on an object itself provided with a tag into which an ID is written can be obtained. To obtain information on another object, the object must be also provided with a tag. There is also the disadvantage that a link label moving in the space cannot be expressed.